Shadow of the Colossus: The Sorrowful Tale of Wander and Mono
by Yours Anonymous
Summary: I just finished the game and thought I really needed to do this! Starts out with a short prologue just to sum up the legend of the Forbidden Lands and Dormin. Then the story will move on to focus on Wander and Mono's relationship. Reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism is highly anticipated. Rated M just so I have room to go all out on this one! Thank you for reading!
1. Prologue

Prologue

In a time not too distant from the memory of man, there was a prosperous kingdom to the South. In this kingdom, the people worshiped their god, whom they called Dormin. Bountiful were the harvests and plentiful were the people, but only by a heavy price. For Dormin demanded a human sacrifice every ten years in order to sustain his powers.

After ages of this abuse, the people gathered in secret to plot a way to destroy the god. Only one rose to the challenge. A wandering shaman from the North explained how his god had told him how he might seal away Dormin, for even the topmost kingdom had heard of the plight of their people. Anxious to be rid of their accursed oppressor, they agreed to the shaman's terms.

A few days later, the shaman sent messengers to every part of the kingdom, telling everyone to make their escape before he sealed away Dormin…and the land with him. Hundreds of people traversed the great expanse of plains, hills, forests, valleys, rivers and fjords. However, Dormin's eye was watchful and in his rage he sent his Shadowmen to attack anyone who was moving toward the Shrine Bridge.

Out of hundreds of thousands of people, only a few hundred successfully met the shaman and were escorted to the other side of the Shrine Bridge. When there was no one left, the shaman went to the Shrine temple to confront Dormin.

"I call upon the one who is named Dormin," he shouted up at the ring of light that shown down the center of the Shrine of Worship.

There was no answer.

"Dormin I summon thee!" and with that he withdrew a short sword from his robe, pointing it up towards the heavenly light. Then, with a low rumble, a voice deep as the core of the earth spoke.

"I am Dormin. Who summons me?" the shaman stepped into the light.

"It is I, the One who shall slay you!" the voice laughed mockingly.

"A human? Slay me? …A God? Ha!"

Then, all of a sudden, with an ear splitting shriek, the light from the sword split Dormin into sixteen pieces, and spread his power to sixteen great colossi throughout the land, and he was entombed thereafter.


	2. Chapter I

Chapter I 

The sound of hoof beats permeated the forest floor, scattering the earth-dwelling creatures from the road. Six riders approached in haste, caring not for their disturbance. Spurring their horses onwards, their cloaks whipping behind them, leaving a cloud of dust. At the head was a man who looked older than the rest, the creases of time etched in his furrowed brow. _This time, _he thought, _this time the ritual may be complete. _It had been over thirty years since he had last seen the temple's walls. Of what he could remember were only vague memories. _It is near… I can almost smell it!_

As the sun sank behind the trees, they arrived at the castle gate. It was drawn open in anticipation of their arrival and as they reached the courtyard their leader dismounted. The rest followed him into a banquet hall, where a feast had been laid out in their honor. Seated at the head of the table was a lady fairer than any of the men's comprehension. With skin as pale as fresh cream and tresses of brilliant vermilion. As if in a trance, each sat down at the table, never taking their eyes off the beauty. She raised her palms in welcome.

"And so you have come," said the lady, a slight smile on her pale lips, "so long have I awaited your return, Emon," she said as she looked on the leader with eyes as green as emeralds. He returned her gaze familiarly then paused for a moment before he spoke.

"Duty has allowed me the privilege to reenter these walls. And it is my duty that I carry out the Ancient Incantation. Tell me, High Priestess, is it true that the Maiden has appeared in your vision?"

"Yes," said the lady, "I have seen her. You shall meet her soon." With that the lady excused herself and retired to her quarters, leaving the company of men to rest. Among them was a youth named Wander, who had been chosen to become a Guardian by Emon. Only young men who had been _seen_ by the Shaman Lord were given the honor to become Guardians, champions of the one and true God. It would take their lifetime to fulfill the duties of the Order, an old alliance of men who pledged themselves to protect the temple and its priestesses from the evils of the world.

When the feast was done, Emon led the men to their sleeping quarters. It had been days since any of them had seen their beds, and most fell asleep in an instant. Only one remained in the hall, not being able to sleep. His young mind raced with the events of the last few weeks. His coming of age ceremony, then his encounter with Lord Emon and how he had been _seen _by him to become a Guardian. Then his thoughts turned to a more distant memory, one of a girl with long dark hair and big, black eyes that seemed to draw him in. If only he could remember her name. Disdained, he threw a pebble out into the courtyard.


	3. Chapter II

Chapter II

Wander was sitting up against a tall pillar at the edge of the hall, looking out into the gardens and the lake beyond it with his piercing gray-blue eyes. The moonlight painted the tips of the dewy grass a faint shimmering blue, highlighting the dark waters that lapped beside it. He could just barely see a slim, white figure standing close to the waters edge, her black hair flowing down past her shoulders to the middle of her back. Curious, he left the hall and strolled down to get a better look. The closer he came, the more familiar she began to seem. As he drew nearer, the girl whipped around, a startled gasp escaping her lips.

"Who's there?" she cried.

"I meant no harm," said Wander, "I came with Lord Emon," the girl nodded in understanding, then turned back to face the lake. She seemed to be a wisp of a memory he couldn't place. Wander stood beside her, looking at her for some clue that would help jog his memory. She was a slight little thing, a mere slip of a girl. Not at all like the village girls back home, who were built for farming and bearing children. _At home a girl like her wouldn't last a day_, he thought, chuckling to himself. _Home… _

"How came you here," the girl said suddenly, almost making Wander jump. Her voice was soft, but there was a slight sternness to it that made him think of her upbringing. _She must have been raised within these walls_, he thought grimly, _not knowing the warmth of a family hearth or the_ _pleasantries of country life. _

"Lord Emon chose me to become a Guardian," he said, almost remorseful at his fate. She turned to him and their eyes met briefly. It was a moment that seemed to last forever, making the both of them blush for they had forgotten themselves entirely. Embarrassed, they turned away from each other, Wander could feel his heart pounding inside his chest and it was so loud he thought she might hear it. He could feel an electrified energy between them for which he dared not disturb, for fear of hindering it.

"I see," she said, turning her back to the lake, "I must go, or the Head Priestess will punish me." She began to make her way off to the compound beyond the courtyard walls, then Wander stopped her, his hand gently resting on her arm.

"Wait!" he cried fervently, not wanting her to leave just yet. She stared down upon his hand as he removed it from her arm, albeit a little hesitantly.

"What is your name?" there was a faint glimpse of warmth in those gray eyes. For a time she stood there, not knowing whether she should answer him or not, never having had a youth ask her before she was apprehensive. But then she looked at him once more, and with an almost-smile she uttered, "Mono."


	4. Chapter III

Chapter III

"Wander," a voice came faintly to him as if it were far away, "Wander, get up," it said, a hand pushing his shoulder. He opened his eyes to still see the lake's edge; _did I sleep out here all night? _Responding slowly to the man trying to wake him, Wander gingerly rose to his feet. His body was cramped and cold and all he wanted to do was get to the hearth. "Hope you don't catch your death out here, 'tis no longer summertime," the man said. Turning to him, Wander nodded in agreement. So short had the summer season been that they'd been scrambling to get the harvest done before the frost came.

"We're far from home," he said to the man, "and we won't be back for a long time…won't we?" The man sighed, his expression twisting into that of remorse, "You're too young to be here, I know it. If Lord Emon hadn't chose you, you wouldn't have a care in the world, but now…" he paused, "no one can escape their fate." He patted Wander's shoulder and turned to go back into the hall, Wander followed him. When they entered, all the men were gathered around the banquet table. Lord Emon sat at the head with the High Priestess at his side. Wander made his way to the hearth, not wanting to be part of their conversation.

His mind drifted off to the dream he'd had that night. A small child was darting between trees, laughing at him. She had shoulder-length dark hair that slightly curled on the ends. Her eyes… they were a warm ebony – like that of a mare – and seemed to draw him in to their dark depths. Was she Mono? The young maiden he'd met last night? The memory was still too hazy to put two and two together. But somehow, he felt there was pre-existing connection between them. _Those same eyes… _he thought. He couldn't get them out of his mind. Then, he decided to ask Lord Emon if he knew of Mono and if she had come from his village. _Because he knows everything, Emon does. I'm sure he'd tell me if I asked…but when…? _

Just then, Lord Emon stood from the table and addressed him, " Wander, I have something to show you," he said, "walk with me." Surprised, Wander followed the older man to the courtyard. Emon led him farther into the main grounds and into one of the maze-like gardens he'd heard of. Walls of shrubs stood on either side of the path, with flowers and ivy twining themselves in and out of the shrubbery. "Do you know why I brought you here, Wander?" Emon said, Wander shook his head in reply. "It is because you have a very important duty to fulfill. One that many of us before you have failed in succeeding."

"All I know is that you _saw _me, but anything else… I do not understand, my lord," said Wander, shaking his head. Then, finding the courage to ask about Mono, he said, "Last night… I met a young maiden by the lake's edge. She called herself Mono… Is she also a priestess here, my lord?" Peering over at Emon, he noticed his expression change from grave to amused, "So you've met," he stopped walking and Wander looked around. They were at another courtyard, but instead of walls there were separate apartments and open hallways. He could see some of the women inside looking out at him and Lord Emon in interest.

"Should we be here, my lord?" he asked, then decided to probe deeper, "What does my meeting her have to do with my becoming a Guardian?" Emon replied, "You will come to know of it, after you've completed your training," he came to an entryway into one of the apartments and beckoned Wander to follow him inside. "Which will start now," and with that he pushed open a pair of heavy wooden doors to reveal an inner chamber – someone's private room. Uncomfortable and ignorant still of Emon's real reason for bringing him to this place, he followed Emon into the room warily. Then he saw her sitting by the window, the soft breeze disturbing her long dark locks. She stared as if she hadn't heard anyone come in.

"Mono, although you've already met, let me introduce to you your new escort and protectorate, his name is Wander." The two of them looked at one another wide-eyed; it was fate.


	5. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

Wander dropped to one knee and placed his right hand over his heart, bowing his head. "My lady… " Lord Emon's eyebrows rose in surprise; he couldn't have expected the boy to accept Mono so easily. Most Guardians-in-training would turn up their nose at such a fragile creature. But what surprised him more were Mono's actions. She delicately flitted over to his side, taking his hand in hers and putting it to her own heart, smiling down at his upturned face. "Rise," she uttered, ever so softly. Wander rose to his feet, his hand still placed over her heart.

He could feel the flutter of her heartbeat; like the beating of wings, they looked into each others' eyes for the second time. For the second time, Wander felt as though he'd already met this maiden once before… "You two still have much to learn until the ritual, only then will you become Guardian and Priestess. But know this, thou shalt always be by each others side, you will come to know each other so well that there shall never be a bond stronger than thine," he took their hands and placed Wander's over Mono's.

"Now I take my leave. Wander, see to it that you take care of Mono well," said Emon, letting go of their hands and making his way out of the room. The air in the room grew heavy, the sunlight pouring in from the window. The heat from it seemed to light a fire in Wander's cheeks as his eyes were locked on hers. He found that he could not escape from those divine pools. Mono's pale face remained unchanged and even. At last he mustered the courage to speak, "Sometimes, I've felt as if we've met before. As if this day was fated since a long time ago… That night by the lake… why were you standing there?"

She let her hand slip out from under his, turning away from him and walking again to the window. Taking a deep breath in, she started, "When I was a child, I had the gift of foresight. I was a burden to my parents, to the village… and so they decided to leave me on the plains. It was there that Lord Emon found me, half dead, and took me to another village." Wander could hear the stoniness in her voice, but also her softness; her sadness. After a moment's pause, she resumed her story, "There I met a boy… he was kind to me… he taught me his language and the way of his people. He was –"

"I know," Wander interrupted, just as he saw a tear slide down her cheek, "Mono, I –" she turning around to face him once again. Slowly she came over to him and took his hand, "It's all right, I don't want to stand here dissecting the past, all that matters is the here and now." _I don't want us to be of that time again, it's been so many years since then, _she thought to herself, wanting to keep their childhood friendship in the past. A part of her was afraid that if she allowed those memories to reemerge, that she would lose Wander as he was now. As a young man, in training to be her Guardian. They would have the rest of their lives to create new memories.

"Let me take you somewhere," she said, a tiny smile invading her melancholy expression from a moment before. With that she took him back out to the courtyard and deeper into the confines of the temple walls. He followed behind her up a wide spiral stair that led them to an expansive building with great colonnades, fountains and a dome roof made of glass panes. Inside was a garden filled with such exotic fruits and flowers of an ilk he had not seen before. At the center was a small pool, where Mono led him to and stopped. Then she knelt by the edge of it and calmly motioned him to also kneel. "Look at the surface of the water, tell me what you see," she motioned over the water majestically. Wander looked but could only see their reflections in the water, "You tell me, then, my lady," he said. "Alright," she said, turning to look at their reflection, "I see us…but only as we are now, never older."

"As do I," Wander retorted, not understanding her meaning. "We will never be aged, we will remain this way forever," she looked into his eyes. He could see her tears welling up. Would they die young? Was that what she meant? Or would they become immortalized for their good deeds by the gods? Whatever she had meant, it did not seem to be good news. Moved by her distress, Wander embraced Mono, holding her firmly in his arms. Her tears became quiet sobs and she buried her face into his shoulder, allowing herself to be drawn into his comforting warmth. For the first time in a long time, she rested peacefully against the breast of her long-lost childhood friend.


End file.
